The invention is generally directed to robotic vehicles and more particularly to transformable robotic vehicles.
Conventional robotic ground vehicles typically employ a single chassis supported on at least two (but often more) wheels, legs, tracks or the like. Such conventional vehicles suffer from a number of disadvantages. One such disadvantage is that the physical dimensions of the vehicle limit the size of obstacles that it can negotiate. Typically, conventional vehicles are also too large and heavy for practical deployment by throwing or hand held launchers. In addition, conventional vehicles are generally not rugged enough to survive deployment by throwing or launching.
The invention provides a multipurpose, rugged, light weight, ground or water transformable vehicle with improved mobility performance compared to conventional vehicle architectures commonly used for this class of vehicles. The transformable vehicle of the invention has at least two configurational states, a stowed state and a transformed state (also referred to as a deployed state). In the stowed state, the transformable vehicle is generally more compact, rugged, less observable, and more conducive to storage, transport and deployment than in the transformed state. In one embodiment, the vehicle is substantially spherical in the stowed state. It is to be understood, however, that the a spherical or symmetric shape in the stowed state is not critical to the invention. For example, the transformable vehicle may be substantially oblate spherical, substantially cylindrical or substantially rectangular in the stowed state.
In some embodiments, the transformable vehicle may be launched or thrown; may operate on ground terrain, a water surface, or underwater; may assemble with other transformable vehicles into a single larger vehicle and subsequently disassemble back into single vehicles. In other embodiments, the vehicle is wheeled. In these embodiments, the wheeled vehicle may modify its wheels shape and size to enable locomotion, to tailor its wheels to the terrain over which it is traveling, or both. In still further embodiments, vehicles of the invention wirelessly link to provide a mobile and reconfigurable communication relay chain.
The transformable vehicle comprises a central chassis assembly, a first wheel assembly and a second wheel assembly. The central chassis assembly has first and second distal ends. It is to be understood that the chassis contains the usual necessary components of a vehicle. Examples of such components include, but are not limited to, batteries, engines and/or motors. The first wheel assembly mounts to the first distal end and the second wheel assembly mounts to the second distal end of the chassis assembly. The first and second wheel assemblies are adapted to move along an axis passing through the first and second distal ends from a stowed state to a transformed state. The wheel assemblies enable locomotion of the transformable vehicle. A wheel assembly of the invention can comprise any suitable structure for locomotion over land, water, or both. Suitable structures include, but are not limited to, flexible wheels, rigid wheels, inflated wheels, tracks, articulating projections, and paddle wheels. However, hereinafter for the sake of conciseness, the wheel assembly locomotion structures will be referred to generally as wheels.
Any suitable structure may be used to move the first and second wheel assemblies along an axis passing through the first and second distal ends from a stowed state to a transformed state. In one embodiment, the transformable vehicle includes at least one spring adapted to oppositely bias the first and second wheel assemblies along the axis from the stowed state to the transformed state. In another embodiment, the transformable vehicle includes a motor assembly for retracting and/or extending the wheel assemblies between the stowed and transformed states.
In one embodiment, the first and second wheel assemblies of the transformable vehicle further include first and second outer shell assemblies, respectively, that are adapted to overlay the central chassis assembly when the vehicle is in the stowed state. In one embodiment, the first and second outer shell assemblies are substantially hemispherical.
In accordance with further embodiments of the invention, the central chassis of the transformable vehicle includes a transceiver, sensors, cameras, audio speakers, microphones, on-board logic, sonar, proximity sensors, gyroscope, wheel encoders, and/or other electronics. In one embodiment, the central chassis includes a payload bay which may hold, for example, grappling hook and motorized winch assembly, additional sensors, medical supplies, munitions, ordinance, or any other item a user may wish to transport within the transformable vehicle. In another embodiment, the payload bay holds a water propulsion unit, for example, a jet or propeller, for water surface or submersible locomotion.
In one embodiment, the first and second wheel assemblies are rotatably mounted to the first and second distal ends of the central chassis assembly. In another embodiment, the transformable vehicle further includes a drive motor assembly which enables steerable locomotion of the vehicle. In another embodiment, the transformable vehicle further includes at least two separate drive motors individually mated to each of the wheel assemblies enabling steerable locomotion.
In one embodiment, each of the wheel assemblies are fitted with a plurality of spines that transform from an initial position proximate to the first and second wheel assemblies in the stowed state to a position radially extended from the first and second wheel assemblies in the transformed state. The spines may be rigid, semi-rigid or flexible. In another embodiment, the spines include a spring bias adapted to bias the plurality of spines in a radially extended position that characterizes the transformed state. In another embodiment, the first and second plurality of spines are further adapted to extend and retract by operation of a spine control motor assembly or similar means.
In one embodiment, the transformable vehicle controls the extension and retraction of the first and second plurality of spines to enable the transformable vehicle to locomote. In another embodiment, the transformable vehicle extends and retracts the spines in a predetermined pattern to develop a rotational torque between the first and second plurality of spines.
In one embodiment, the transformable vehicle uniformly extends and retracts at least one of the first and second plurality of spines to effect a variable wheel diameter. In another embodiment, the plurality of spines are further adapted to extend or retract to conform to a terrain profile over which the transformable vehicle is travelling. The first and second plurality of spines may be further adapted to flex to adapt to the terrain profile.
In one embodiment, the transformable vehicle further includes a tail assembly attached to the central chassis assembly to provide a reaction torque to the differential drive torque developed between the central chassis assembly and the first and second wheel assemblies. The tail assembly of the transformable vehicle may also include a tail weight which is attached to the distal end of the tail assembly. In another embodiment, the transformable vehicle further includes a grappling hook and the tail assembly includes a distal end adapted for attachment to the grappling hook. In another embodiment, the central chassis further includes a motorized winch assembly connected to a tail assembly with a distal end adapted for attachment to a grappling hook. The motorized winch assembly enables the transformable vehicle to be suspended, raised and lowered from elevated surfaces or structures via a cable connecting the tail assembly and the chassis of the transformable vehicle.
In another embodiment, the transformable vehicle may assemble with one or more comparable transformable vehicles, to form a single larger vehicle. This assemblage of two or more transformable vehicles is referred to as an xe2x80x9cassembled statexe2x80x9d of the transformable vehicle. This assemblage may occur manually or remotely. In one embodiment, the transformable vehicles locate each other and attach such that the chassis of a first transformable vehicle flexibly or rigidly connects to the end of the tail assembly of a second transformable vehicle directly in front of the first transformable vehicle. The described single larger vehicle offers improved stability, mobility performance and is capable of surmounting larger obstacles because the second transformable vehicle is pushed up the obstacle by the first transformable vehicle. In another embodiment, transformable vehicles coupled into an assembled state may disassemble into one or more individual transformable vehicles.
In another embodiment, multiple transformable vehicles are in wireless communication and can be spaced apart in a communications xe2x80x9ctrainxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cchainxe2x80x9d to serve as an extendable wireless communications relay for maintaining communications among an operator""s base control station and two or more transformable vehicles without continuous line-of-sight comminations.